Chelsea beat Western Sydney 6-4; new boss Alonso denies Welbeck, Henderson links

Published Jul 28, 03:40 PM UTC

New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso refused to confirm reports linking the club to veteran forwards Danny Welbeck (35, Brighton) and Jordan Henderson (36, Brentford) following a 6-4 pre-season friendly victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney. Alonso emphasized the need for 'proper balance' in the squad, reflecting a revised transfer strategy under his leadership that prioritizes experienced Premier League players over exclusively signing young talent. In the match, Chelsea fielded a youthful starting lineup before introducing stars like Cole Palmer and João Pedro in the second half. João Pedro scored a nine-minute hat-trick to secure the win. The article also notes Chelsea's interest in a new set-piece coach and highlights the performance of 17-year-old triallist Dastan Satpayev, who scored the opening goal.